MCA dengan jelas menunjukan kecenderungan Chauvinis Cina mereka membatasi semangat ‘kongsi-kuasa’ sebagai rakankongsi Barisan Nasional. Isu ketelanjuran bahasa Ketua Bahagian UMNO Tanjong Piai Dato’ Nasir Safar masih lagi disandarkan sebagai modal politik berbanding dengan mengenepikan isu itu demi kesejahteraan perasaan orang Melayu.
Laporan Malaysiakini:
Appalled by ‘no further action’ against Nasir Safar
Loh Seng Kok, June 29 2010 8.422pm
MCA is aghast with the reply by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz in Parliament that there was insufficient evidence to prove intention on the part of Safar to incite racial ill-will, according to subsection 3(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 despite his unequivocal labeling of Chinese and Indians in Malaysia as “pendatangs” and reference to Chinese women as “prostitutes”.
The reasoning that the labels referred to “economic migrants and not locally-born Chinese or Indians” is pathetically insulting to the early arrivals of our ancestors who contributed tremendously towards and growth, development and wealth of our beloved nation. This reasoning is flawed, and therefore unacceptable to public sensibilities.
But, to give Nasir Safar the benefit of the doubt, if his racist remarks were not targeted at Malaysian Chinese and Indians, is he alluding that the Chinese were fleeing China for political purposes given the political turmoil in China and India circa mid 19th to mid-20th century?
The fact remains that the Malaysian Chinese and Indians were offended by the racist spews, and it does not matter whether the labels were meant for “economic migrants” and not Malaysian Chinese and Indians.
It does become paramount that guidelines with definitive parameters are established as to what form of contents (be they verbal or publication or public policy) are tantamount to inciting racial ill-will and sedition. I fear that sensible readers would read the government’s move of “no further action” as sweeping the problem under the carpet, or selective enforcement of the Sedition Act.
MCA recalls that Sin Chew journalist Tan Hoon Cheng was detained under ISA for reporting on the “pendatang” and “penumpang” slurs, but no form of punitive measures by the government were taken against Ahmad Ismail who uttered them.
Some form of government action should have been instituted against both Nasir Safar and Ahmad Said to serve as a deterrent to other Malaysians from wantonly categorising individuals irrespective of nationality or ethnicity with derogatory terms or less-than-glorified professions according to racial groups.
The failure to do so would only embolden other racist-bent Malaysians to espouse similar bigoted identification only to conveniently apologise which even then, seems half-baked after public uproar.
The world is now a global village where it is not uncommon that mankind, irrespective of country of origin would venture for economic opportunities abroad, even legally settling down in other continents for foreign direct investment or simply to earn higher salaries or to gain experience. Hence, the application of the term “economic migrants” is an insult to all individuals working overseas, away from their domicile country.
Can the “pendatang” label for “economic migrants” be similarly applied to the more than million-odd foreign workers in Malaysia (be they illegals or with legitimate work permits) from fellow Asean neighbouring countries who search for greener pastures on our Malaysian shores arriving by the boat-loads after surviving crossing the tenuous Straits of Malacca or reaching Sabah from Mindanao? It is not surprising to find two generations of such “economic migrants” among illegals in Malaysia.
We have to be frank and acknowledge that majority of people working and living away from their homelands is due to economic pursuit, rather than political-refugee status. Thus, why come up with less-than-savoury terms in such cases?
The writer is member of MCA central committee, MCA presidential council and deputy chairman of MCA publicity bureau.
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Sentimen ini sebenarnya dikongsi pelbagai pemimpin MCA dibanyak peringkat, termasuk Ketua Pemuda MCA Dato’ Wee Ka Siong. Namun kewajaran untuk memanjang isu ini walaupun Dato’ Nasir sebagai Pegawai Khas Perdana Menteri telah pun meletakan jawatan serta merta atas kesedaran sendiri tanpa diminta, apabila kontroversi mengenai isu ini dibangkitkan, demia untuk menjaga perasaan MCA sebagai rakan kongsi BN dan UMNO sebagai tunjang parti ‘kongsi kuasa’ itu menghargai kedudukan MCA.
Wee sendiri baru baru ini menimbulkan kontroversi apabila mempersoalkan peruntukan biasiswa dan tajaan oleh MARA, tatkala peruntukan pembiayaan dan tajaan pengajiang tinggi oleh JPA mahu dikurangkan terutama langkah jimat-cermat Kerajaaan Persekutuan. Kenyataan Wee itu harus dilihat sebagai ‘menyinggung’ perasaan orang Melayu kerana soal biasiswa merupakan hak istimewa yang diperuntukan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan bawah Artikel 153 dan juga MARA ujud bawah Akta MARA.
Sekiranya pemimpin MCA mendesak Nasir diambil tindakan bawah Akta Hasutan, maka UMNO juga wajar mendesak agar tindakan bawah akta yang sama diambil keatas Wee kerana mempersoalkan isu yang dengan nyata diperuntukan bawah Akta 153.
Pemimpin MCA wajar sedar bahawa majoriti wakil rakyat mereka, samada MP atau ADUN masih lagi berkuasa kerana ‘deposit tetap’ undi Melayu, yang dijana oleh UMNO. Polar pengundian PRU 12 jelas menunjukan masyarakat etnik Cina rata rata tidak memberikan undi mereka kepada BN terutama calon MCA dan sebaliknya kepada DAP dan PKR. Data menunjukan DAP merakam peningkatan sebanyak 58% pertambahan undi pada PRU 12 berbanding PRU 11 dan majoriti undi ini datang dari etnik Cina.
Sekiranya pemimpin MCA tidak ‘sedar diri’ atas kedudukan mereka yang masih lagi dipilih sebagai MP dan ADUN dan juga diperuntukan kerusi dalam Dewan Negara atas lantikan Perdana Menteri, yang juga Presiden UMNO (mandat oleh orang Melayu) dan memungkinkan antara mereka dilantik ke 4 jawatan Menteri dan 7 Timbalan menteri dalam Kabinet dan lain lain kedudukan, termasuk lantikan ke Lembaga Pengarah Badan Berkanun. Malah 13 dari 15 MP MCA sekarang samada sedang atau pernah menduduki jawatan dalam pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan.
Kuasa yang MCA yang mewakili etnik Cina dalam formula ‘kongsi-kuasa’ yang berjaya dipupuk oleh Presiden UMNO II Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj dari 1955 dan diteruskan sehingga hari ini mungkin akan sampai ketempoh luput sekiranya pemimpin MCA masih lagi tidak sedar diri dan sikap menyuarakan perasaan tanpa menimbangkan perasaan dan kesan. Ehsan orang Melayu sebagai ‘deposit tetap’ (fixed deposit) BN semestinya akan ada hadnya. MCA hari ini juga perlu sedar bahawa konflik perebutan kuasa dan kepimpinan dalaman MCA berjaya dilerai dan selesaikan oleh pemimpin UMNO, samada Tan Koon Swan Vs Neo Yee Pan oleh Tun Ghaffar Baba pada tahun 1980an maupun Ling Liong Sik Vs Lim Ah Lek (dan berlanjutan kepada Ong Ka Ting Vs Chan Kong Choy) oleh PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Akhbar yang dikuasai MCA The Star dewasa ini menunjukan kecenderungan menengahkan agenda Chauvinis Cina yang lebih kurang membayangkan sikap dan hala tuju Kepimpinan MCA. Baru baru ini juga Presiden MCA Dato’ Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek juga menyalahkan NGO Melayu Perkasa kerana ketirisan undi etnik Cina dalam PRK P094 Hulu Selangor, walaupun prestasi jelas MCA menunjukan penurunan kerusi dalam Dewan Rakyat sebanyak 50% pada PRU 12 berbanding PRU 11 sedangkan Perkasa belum pun ujud pada ketika itu.
Kompromi dengan masyarakat etnik Cina wajar menurut lunas prinsip formula ‘kongsi-kuasa‘ agar kedudukan dan kuasa orang Melayu sebagai majoriti dihormati dan mereka sebagai minoriti yang diperuntukan hak sama rata tidak berlaku biadap. Sikap tidak mahu menyokong Sistem Sekolah Satu Aliran demi perpaduan dan keharmonian rakyat Malaysia saling memahami dan sedia berkerjasama menunjukan mereka tidak mengenangi asas kuasa yang mereka nikmati.
Pemimpin MCA harus sedar implikasi yang mungkin berlaku sekiranya semua kenyataan dan tindakan ‘tidak sedar diri’ yang dibuat ini hanya akan menyinggung, jika tidak menimbulkan kemarahan pemimpin dan ahli UMNO. Ini bukanlah pendekatan yang baik untuk menyelesaikan masalah mereka, terutama kegagalan meraih keyakinan dan sokongan masyarakat etnik Cina yang mereka wakili. Sekiranya pemimpin UMNO ditekan untuk mengusir keluar MCA dari BN, maka kemungkinan mereka akan berjaya dipilih sebagai wakil rakyat dalam pilihanraya makin tipis dan akibatnya, suara dan aspirasi masyarakat etnik Cina tidak akan diwakili dalam proses penggubalan dasar dan perancangan strategik. Masyarakat etnik Cina sebagai penyumbang utama ekonomi akan secara langsungnya terjejas.
Oleh demikian, sebaliknya jika MCA secara totalnya menghargai perananan dan ehsan orang Melayu dalam perjalanan kareer politik dan kuasa terutama proses perancangan makro dan penggubalan dasar yang mereka nikmati sepanjang 55 tahun ini, maka episod seperti Nasir Safar yang telah pun memohon maaf secara sukarela ini wajar dianggap sebagai selesai dan diketepikan sebagai iktibar. Dalam pada itu, mereka wajar memberikan tumpuan besar merangka strategi untuk menentang DAP. Pemimpin UMNO adalah rakan dalam agenda ‘kongsi-kuasa’ dan kerjasama secara total dan tidak wajar dimusuhi.
Zarinah: ‘Gangster’ of Bukit Kiara
SC Chairman Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar
Securites Commission Chairman Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar has done it again. She is ‘terrorising’ the public in the her fiduciary duty of the being the boss of regulating body for the securities, capital and debt market industries in Malaysia. This time is about interrogating business writers.
This is about abuse of power andwrongful discharge of authority. This is probably not the first time.
Zarinah as SC Chairman must explain and be held accountable for the the ECM Libra-Avenue Capital highly controversial ‘merger‘ in mid 2006. In late 2005, boutique stock broking firm ECM Libra had an ambition to be a full fledge investment bank and needed the universal stock broking license from the authorities, namely the SC. Shareholders and active players include then son-in-law of the Prime Minister ‘Flip-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Khairy “The Most Powerful 28 Year Old” Jamaluddin and media-dictator Kalimullah “Riong Kali” Hassan had the ambition to ‘take over’ a much larger firm Avenue Capital Resources Bhd.
The problem is that ECM Libra had only a market capitalisation of RM 200 million versus ACRB’s RM 800 million. The disparity of the value between the ‘proposer’ and ‘target’ is so vast, in terms of capital and even clientèle. Hence, the ‘magic play’ begins. ECM Libra was purportedly pushing up its share price and the a two day all time market high was recorded as the ‘value’ price in the negotiations. It is still not adequate. Then it was said that advsior to the merger KN Kenanga ‘colluded’ in ACRB highly irregular impairment of goodwill of RM 296 million, to bring the value of the ‘merger’ to a more equal footing.
The ‘raping’ of ACRB’s shareholders’ rights went on further. The BOD of ACRB failed to furnish shareholders the right information and explanation when the EGM held for the ‘merger’ in May 2006. The ‘merger’ proposal was practically forced down the shareholders throat. Minority shareholders’ rights were violated. The most glaring is that ACRB did not make a mandatory general offer to the minority shareholders prior to the merger. Minority Shareholders Watchdog Group came out very strong opposing this violation of the minority shareholders rights, specifically provided under the Companies Act and Securities Commission Act. And yet he ‘merger’ sailed through, almost without any real obstacle.
Reports were made to the SC against the ‘merger’. Nothing avail. At least 17 reports were filed by minority shareholders alone. At best, the complainants got an acknowledgement from SC for their complaints. Even three police reports were filed. The commercial crime policemen without the necessary skills did the proper thing; They forwarded the police reports to the subject matter expert: The Securities Commission.
Guess what? SC did nothing. SC allowed the highly controversial and irregular ‘merger’ to go on. It was said because the Chairman Zarinah Anwar is then close to PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. She was appointed SC Chairman on 1 April 2006, ‘conveniently’ just prior to the ECM Libra-Avenue Capital ‘merger’.
The more recent is the case about MyEG Services Bhd. One of the players whose company comprises part of consortium which provided service for the online service provider for Malaysian Government counter services, one Singaporean Mr Ong Soon Kiat pleaded guilty under Singaporean Sect 97 (1) of the Securities Industries Act in 1999. And yet S K Ong as a white collar criminal was an active shareholder and Chief Executive Director of Paxelent Corporation Bhd.
How could SC allow such a person hold position in a plc, moreover which was given wholesale business to provide online government counter services for the rakyat on behalf of the Federal Government? This serious breach of Securities Commission Act 1993 was actually notified to the SC in July 2008 but then again, non avail. Many believed that this is because MyEg Chairman Dato’ Dr. Noraesah Mohamed is very close and a relations to PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah.
It is as if SC is part of an organised and institutionalised ‘gangsterism’, in organised practice to protect the ‘inner circle’ of then corporate crooks close to PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah. Hence, the act of terrorising two business jounalists is just a tip of the iceberg as compared to ‘institutionalised gangsterism’ that Zarinah imposed upon the SC for allowing the anchovy-sized ECM Libra to take over the much larger whale shark ACRB. This is not withstanding other shoddy deals not yet uncovered.
Soon enough, bloggosphere will be coloured with these scandals. This must mot be good for Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak whose third promise as UMNO 7th President acceptance speech is to combat corruption (and abuse of power).
*Updated 1400hrs